The Future of Convenience

Scott Hundley, director of light duty EV and infrastructure at The Pilot Company explains how the travel center operator plans its charging sites, maintains high reliability, and prepares for growth in electric vehicle adoption. Rich Wilcox, vice president at Kalibrate, joins the conversation to share an industry perspective on location-specific investment, brand perception, and the grid connection challenges facing operators in Europe and North America. With special guests: Scott Hundley, Director, Light Duty EV and Infrastructure, Pilot Company and Rich Wilcox, Vice President, Sales - EMEA & APAC, Kalibrate Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Dan Munford

Mariette Kristenson, CEO of Reitan Convenience, which operates roughly 1,500 stores across seven countries in the Nordics and Baltics, shares how food and convenience have driven a decade of growth even as traditional categories decline, and how Reitan has experimented with unmanned stores, vending, and new store formats along the way. With special guest: Mariette Kristenson, CEO, Reitan Convenience Hosted by: Dan Munford and Matt Redwood

Food and beverage expert Jen Dodd, CEO and board advisor of Main Squeeze Juice Co., explains what separates thriving food businesses from those that struggle to keep pace with a changing customer. Dodd, who has led brands including Wendy's, Dunkin', Tim Hortons, and the Melting Pot over a career spanning more than three decades, shares why authenticity, a disciplined hero product strategy and smart use of technology matter more than ever as convenience and food service continue to merge into foodvenience. With special guest: Jennifer Dodd, CEO and Board Advisor, Main Squeeze Juice Co. Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Harry Milloff

Joe Boyle, CEO of FreshStop in South Africa, tells how the retailer grew from a small produce department into a food-led convenience brand operating more than 340 stores across South Africa, Namibia, and soon Zimbabwe. FreshStop built its own barista, fried chicken, and bakery brands from scratch when the disruption from COVID-19 became an unexpected springboard for its foodservice growth. The operational realities of running convenience stores amidst electricity and water shortages and civil unrest all make for a fascinating story! With special guest: Joe Boyle, CEO, FreshStop Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Harry Milloff

Hear about the push to turn Germany's forecourts into multi-service destinations and how AI adoption is reshaping in-store operations across Europe as Dan Munford and co-host Christian Warning preview Forecourt Tech 2026 with Frederick Beckman, CEO of Q1 Energy, and Aart van Rooijen, CEO of BigBrother International. Learn more about forecourttech 2026 and register at https://forecourttech.com. With special guests: Frederick Beckmann, CEO, Q1 Energy nad Aart van Rooijen, CEO, BigBrother International Hosted by: Dan Munford and Christian Warning

Retail theft is not a new issue, but is indeed a global problem today. With new technology and industry collaboration, retailers can deploy smart tactics to keep their assets and employees safe. Ed Woodall, CEO of the UK’s Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), and Michael O'Loughlin of 360 Degrees Retail Limited join Dan Munford to break down why retail crime across UK convenience and forecourt sites has become one of the sector's most urgent operational challenges. With special guests: Ed Woodall, CEO, Associaiton of Convenience Stores (ACS) and Michael O'Loughlin, Managing Director of 360 Degrees Retail Limited and Pay My Fuel Hosted by: Dan Munford

NACS President and CEO Frank Gleeson shares what he has learned after seven months of traveling the U.S. meeting retailers, explaining why food service has become the single biggest driver of loyalty and footfall in convenience retail, and why he believes quick-service restaurants have real reason to worry. He also looks ahead to what comes next for the industry, from the uneven pace of the EV transition to the collaboration he is seeing take shape across markets around the world. With special guests: Frank Gleeson, President and CEO, NACS and Joe Heather, Regional General Manager - Northern Europe, Deliverect Hosted by: Dan Munford and Elaine Kanak

Mike Wagstaff, president of Holiday Oil, joins hosts Carolyn Schnare and Mosely Group CEO Harry Milloff for the first of a two-part series documenting one Utah convenience retailer's deliberate move from a fuel-first business to a food-first one. Hear how peer group conversations and a frank look at fuel's uncertain future pushed Holiday Oil to stop playing defense and start building toward something more durable. With special guest: Mike Wagstaff, President, Holiday Oil Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Harry Milloff

As convenience retailers around the world push further into food, the conversation keeps circling back to one idea that foodservice is no longer a side category, it must become the engine of the entire store. Moseley Group CEO Harry Milloff digs into what convenience operators can steal from QSRs when it comes to nailing consistency and owning a hero product, along with a secret weapon: hospitality. Learn more and enter the 'Best Foodvenience in the World' competition: https://www.globalconvenience.com/best/foodvenience/ With special guest: Harry Milloff, CEO, Moseley Group Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Dan Munford

The inaugural 'Smartest Store in the World' competition revealed how AI is evolving from standalone tools into connected operating systems that are transforming convenience retail, with Wumart Xueqing Road in China earning top honors for its fully integrated approach. In this episode, hear directly from the winner on their company and on what sets them apart, why scale matters, and the technologies poised to become mainstream over the next 12 to 18 months. With special guests: Brian Gray, Accenture, and Troy Du and Marcus Spurrell, Wumart/DMALL Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare Related Links: Entry: Wumart Xueqing Road store, Beijing, China: https://www.globalconvenience.com/smart/entries/wumart-xueqing-road-store-beijing-china/ Podcast: DMALL CEO Marcus Spurrell on What the West Can Learn From China’s Agentic Commerce: https://www.globalconvenience.com/features/dmall-ceo-marcus-spurrell-explains-what-the-west-can-learn-from-chinas-agentic-commerce/ Smartest Store in the World competition: https://www.globalconvenience.com/smart/home/

How has the ultra-fast charging infrastructure in America matured to where the stop itself fits naturally into a driver's journey? Rachel Moses, senior director for sales, marketing and business development at Electrify America, makes the case that the U.S. EV market is growing through its headwinds, not retreating from them. Hear about regional growth patterns, the education gap, and the growing role convenience retailers are playing in building out the network nationwide. With special guest: Rachel Moses, Senior Director for Sales, Marketing and Business Development, Electrify America Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Dan Munford

Bowser Bean Managing Director Haydn Tierney joins Dan Munford to discuss how the Australian retailer built a strong regional convenience brand around premium coffee, quality food, and customer experience. With special guest: Haydn Tierney, Managing Director, Bowser Bean/Vantage Fuels Pty Ltd Hosted by: Dan Munford

7-Eleven Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer Matt Keogh joins host Dan Munford to discuss how the retailer is reshaping its strategy around Gen Z, food-led growth, and digital innovation. He shares plans for major store expansion alongside a strong omnichannel offer and an increased focus on fresh, trend-driven food ranges. The conversation also explores how technology and changing consumer habits are driving the next phase of convenience retail in Australia. With special guest: Matt Keogh, Chief Commercial Officer, 7-Eleven Australia Hosted by: Dan Munford

Ireland’s Centra is evolving beyond traditional convenience, combining local retail expertise with national scale to meet changing customer expectations. Cormac Dawson shares how the brand is driving growth through foodvenience, operational efficiency, and a strong community connection. From coffee innovation to next-generation store formats, discover how Centra is shaping the future of convenience retail. With special guest: Cormac Dawson, Sales Director, Centra Hosted by: Dan Munford and Carolyn Schnare Related Links: Centra Deli Drama: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlEE_dmAuCfEIARb3RuZqrUrv6uq59B4d

DMALL in China is redefining how technology powers retail, from AI-driven pricing to unified commerce platforms. DMALL CEO Marcus Spurrell explores how agentic commerce, real-time data and digital ecosystems are transforming the retail landscape with hosts Martin Bailie, founder and CEO of MWB Advising, and Carolyn Schnare. Find out what Western retailers can learn from China’s rapid pace of innovation. With special guest: Marcus Spurrell, CEO, DMALL Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Martin Bailie Related Links: See Wumart and DMALL's entry profile in the Insight 'Smartest Store in the World:' competition https://www.globalconvenience.com/smart/entries/wumart-xueqing-road-store-beijing-china/

Recorded live at the AACS Connect 26 Summit in Sydney, host Dan Munford is joined by Brett Barclay, director at CMA. Hear the latest data shaping Australia’s convenience channel from tobacco disruption and beverage growth to emerging impacts from GLP-1 and shifting consumer spend, Barclay offers a clear view of the pressures and opportunities ahead. With special guest: Brett Barclay, Director, CMA Hosted by: Dan Munford

India’s New Shop convenience chain is building a modern convenience retail network in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. Co-Founders Aastha Almast and Mani Dev Gyawali discuss how technology, franchising, and local entrepreneurship are helping reshape India’s retail landscape and how their custom tech stack and AI-driven tools are enabling rapid expansion across the country. With special guests: Aastha Almast and Mani Dev Gyawali, Co-Founders, New Shop Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Dan Munford Related Link: Global Convenience article "A new era for Indian convenience: the tech-smart rise of New Shop" - https://www.globalconvenience.com/features/new-shop-india

AI is moving from experimentation to execution in convenience retail. Recorded live at NRF 2026, Doug Haugh, former Parkland executive and chairman of NewTide.ai, and Jeff Rubin, senior vice president of fuels at Upside, explain how operators can use intelligent automation to tackle labor challenges, improve store performance, and compete in a flat fuel market. With special guests: Doug Haugh, Chairman, NewTide.ai and Jeff Rubin, Sr. Vice President - Fuels, Upside Hosted by: Dan Munford

Chestnut Market is leveraging technology to elevate both speed and service across its growing Northeast footprint. CEO Ryan Oettinger, Director of Operations Faheem Jamal, and DeliGo’s CEO Istvan Haidekker discuss how automation can reduce friction, minimize shrink and free up associates to focus on the customer. With special guests: Faheem Jamal, Director of C-Store Operations, Chestnut Market and Istvan Haidekker, Co-Founder and CEO, Deligo Vision Technologies Hosted by: Dan Munford and Ryan Oettinger, CEO, Chestnut Market

Live from NRF '26, leaders from Vontier, Vusion, and VenHub explore how AI, automation, and connected store technology are reshaping convenience retail. From dynamic pricing and computer vision to robotics and frictionless shopping, the conversation focuses on practical solutions that improve operations and customer experience today. With special guests: Tarang Sethia, Executive Vice President, Product & Technology VenHub, Roy Horgan, Group SEVP Strategy, Marketing & Communications, Vusion Group, and Elaine Kanak, CMO, Vontier Hosted by: Dan Munford